Description
Size: Ramshorn snails come in a variety of sizes. They are nearly 0.25 inches long and have clear shells when they are young. However, the shells become less translucent as the snail ages.
When it comes to looks, Ramshorn Snails come in a wide diversity. The snail’s skin and shell can both be varied, offering a plethora of colour combinations options. The snail’s skin is typically either black or red. Red and black snails both lack the melanin pigment. Red snails’ brilliant colour is a result of their blood, which gives them their colour. The Ramshorn Snail possesses blood with red haemoglobins, unlike other varieties of snails.
On to the shell now. The distinctive shell form of these snails gives rise to their name. There is a flat spiral on it. It looks like the spiral of a rope or the ram’s horn. Colors of shells can differ greatly. Shades of light or dark brown are the most frequent colors you’ll encounter. But more colorful species could have blue, crimson, or even patterned shells.
Origin
The rams-horn is a native of North America, and it can be found anywhere from Florida to the polar regions of Canada and Alaska.
Behavior
Ramshorn snails will typically stay to themselves. They are calm and don’t bother other fish in any way. They are actually highly active and will roam the tank day and night in search of food, contrary to what some people believe. Your snails may be seen elegantly dangling on a plant leaf or scaling the glass walls.
These snails have an intriguing behavioral trait in that they frequently feed in groups. It doesn’t take long for the others to emerge from hiding to share a feast when one snail discovers a nice supply of food.
Keeping as Pet
Habitat
The performance of Ramshorn snails is good in tanks of virtually any size. They do well in tanks that hold 5 to 10 gallons or even more of water. Ramshorn snails appear to be more at ease in an aquatic setting with active vegetation. They enjoy it more when these living plants perish and become food.
Although a Ramshorn Snail may adapt too many different environments, they seem to particularly love tanks containing a variety of living plants. Live aquarium plants exude dead or dying plant material that the snails feed on. Ramshorn Snails are good stewards since live plant tanks can never be “too clean”.
Water Conditions
Ramshorn Snails favour very temperate waters, which is advantageous for aquarium hobbyists. It’s more important to be consistent than to meet any peculiar requirements. These snails dislike areas with abrupt changes in the weather. For these freshwater snails, ideal water conditions are essential in two different ways. The first is that it will have a direct effect on the snail’s health. The second benefit is that it enables their shells to expand and become sturdy, which is crucial.
The good news is that snails are able to adapt to a variety of environments. They thrive in environments with both clean water and gloomy surroundings. Here are some guidelines to follow in order to achieve the greatest outcomes.
Water temperature: 70°F to 78°F
pH levels: 7.0 to 7.5
Water hardness: 5 to 15 dKH
Diet and Feeding
These snails spend a lot of time on the tank’s hard surfaces looking for food. Food sources for ramshorn snails include soft algae, uneaten food, dead or decaying plant materials, and fallen tank mates. In addition, a range of fish flakes, algae wafers, bottom feeder tablets, pellets, and calcium-rich supplements should be included in the diet of ramshorn snails. Calcium is necessary for the healthy growth of the shell. When it comes to feeding, only give the snails as much as they can consume in five minutes.
Dead fish, snails or prawns can also be used as food by ramshorn snails. While dead fish and snails will be consumed by a Ramshorn Snail, it is recommended to remove the corpses to prevent ammonia spikes and other water quality problems. A Ramshorn snail may be drawn to dead aquarium shrimp as food. Ramshorns appear particularly drawn to molting Bamboo and Amano prawn shells for food.
Tank mates
Some tank mates for the Ramshorn Snail are celestial pearl danio, dwarf gourami, cory catfish, pearl gourami, cherry shrimp, guppies and ghost shrimp.
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